Introduction:
On October 27th, 1755, twenty-four transport vessels sailed from Minas Basin. They were under charter parties arranged by Governor Lawrence. Their cargo: approximately 4500 Acadians which had been forcefully placed aboard by English military, in situ. The home ports of these vessels, for the most part, were to be located in Massachusetts. The captains of these vessels were charged to transport the French inhabitants in Nova Scotia and to deliver them to assigned ports located in the English colonies to the south. This fleet consisted of 14 which originated in the Minas Basin and 10 which had come over from Chignecto. At about the same time, a separate fleet of seven transports containing 1700, or so, had sailed from Annapolis Royal. During December, another five vessels sailed, four from the Minas Basin area, and one, directly from Halifax. These last five, contained approximately 700 deported Acadians. Thus, during the last three months of 1755, some 6800 Acadians were deported out of Nova Scotia. This page deals with the transport ships of the Acadian deportation.1 For a larger history of these events, I refer the reader to "The Deportation of the Acadians."

[1] I am content that I have accounted for most of the transport ships, though, I am sure, there might have been others. Considerable detail about these ships is set forth in (Akins', Selections From The Public Documents (Halifax: Charles Annands, 1869) pp. 285-93. There, will be found copies of the accounts (Apthorp & Hancock) as transmitted for payment for certain of the transports. Also extensive reference is made to the transports by Placide Gaudet (an eminent authority) in his article about the Acadians, which is to be found in the Canadian Archives Report of 1906, vol. II (Ottawa: S.E. Dawson, 1906), pp. viii & on, & Appendix 'E' (p. 81). Winslow, in a letter to Apthorp & Hancock, dated October 23rd, lists the nine vessels from Minas, their names, captains, numbers of Acadians aboard and where bound (NSHS#3, 178). The Annapolis Royal transports, Hopson, Pembroke, et al., were listed by John Knox in his journal, Historical Journal of the Campaigns in North America, which, in the Champlain Society publication, can be found in volume 1, p. 115.

[2] To fit the columns I have abbreviated as follows:
AA=Au30, viz, arrived Acadia;
DA=No30, viz, departed Acadia;
AD=Au30, viz, arrived at her destination; and
E=Au25-Fe20, time engaged or billed out, viz., August 25th, 1755 - February 20th, 1756.

[3] There were seven transports: the Hannah, the Dolphin, the Three Friends, the Ranger, the Swan, the Sarah & Molly, and the Prosperous -- which had sailed up from Annapolis Royal and arrived as a fleet on October 10th. They had gone into Annapolis Royal at an earlier point in order to take the Acadians away from that place. Governor Lawrence thought it better that they go up to Colonel Winslow at the Minas Basin and that he would sent others up from Halifax to carry away the Acadians at Annapolis Royal. (See Gaudet, op cit., p. ix.) I am not sure why there was a need to make the switch, other then it must have been thought it was to be easier to keep the Acadians at fortified Annapolis Royal then those at Minas Basin. At some point six transports (consisting of some of the larger vessels employed in the deportation of 1755) did come into Annapolis Royal, it seems from Halifax: Edward, Experiment, Helena, Hopson, Pembroke, Two Sisters: they all departed on, I believe the same date, December 8th.

[4] On December 4th, 1755, there appeared this news item in The Maryland Gazette:
"Sunday last (Nov.30) arrived here the last of the vessels from Nova Scotia ... which make four within this fortnight who have brought upwards of 900 of them." (As quoted by Gaudet, op cit., p. v.)

[5] Menis, December 18th, 1755: From Capt. Phins Osgood to Col Winslow: "I have the pleasure to acquaint you I have shipt off the French inhabitants which you left here, on board the sloop Dove, Samuel Forbes master, 114 for Connecticut. And on board the brigantine, Swallow, William Hayes, master, 236 for Boston. Both which vessels sailed the 13th instant. And have two vessels here preparing to receive the remainder which I hope I shall get ready to sail tomorrow." (NSHS#3, p. 188.)

[6] Captain Adams from Annapolis Royal to John Winslow at Halifax, dated December 8th, 1755: "This morning at 5 the fleet [2 ships, 3 snows & one brigantine] sailed out of the basin with a fair wind."

[7] The Minutes of the Council at Philadelphia, dated December 8th, 1755, show that the captains of the vessels (Three Friends, Swan and Hannah) were given their discharges on that date. (Minutes set out by Gaudet, op cit., p. vi.)

[8] Grand Pré, December 20th, 1755: From Capt. Phins Osgood to Col Winslow: "This serves to inform you that the French which you left under my care are all removed. The last of them sailed this afternoon, in two schooners, viz., the Race Horse, John Banks, master, with 112 persons. Ranger, Nathan Monrow, master, with 112 persons. Banks for Boston. Monrow for Virginia." (NSHS#3, p. 192.)

[9] A number of the transports that were employed to bring the Acadians away from their home lands, had, earlier in the year, been employed to bring Monckton's army (2500 men) up from Boston to attack Fort Beauséjour during June of 1755. For a complete list of the Monckton transports, see NSHS#4, pp. 134-5,185. The Dolphin, the Elizabeth, the Hannah, the Leynord, the Neptune, the Prosperous, the Sarah & Molly, the Swan, the Three Friends are identified as Monckton transports.